Bresse is an area of France, in the eastern part of the country, and a former province. It is located in the Rhône-Alpes région between Bourgogne and Jura. The geographical term Bresse has two meanings: Bresse bourguignone (or louhannaise), which is situated in the east of the département of Saône-et-Loire, and Bresse, which is located in the département of Ain. The corresponding adjective is bressan, and the inhabitants are Bressans. Location Administration Capital Lyon Regional President Jean-Jack Queyranne (PS) (since 2004) Départements Ain Ardèche Drôme Isère Loire Rhône Savoie Haute-Savoie Arrondissements 25 Cantons 335 Communes 2,879 Statistics Land area1 43,698 km² Population (Ranked 2nd)  - January 1, 2005 est. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... Location Administration Capital Dijon Regional President François Patriat (PS) (since 2004) Départements Yonne Côte-dOr Nièvre Saône-et-Loire Arrondissements 15 Cantons 174 Communes 2,045 Statistics Land area1 31,582 km² Population (Ranked 16th)  - January 1, 2005 est. ... Jura is a department in the east of France named after the Jura mountains (not be confused with the Swiss canton of Jura). ... Saône-et-Loire is a French département, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies. ... Préfecture building of the Ain département, in Bourg-en-Bresse Ain is a département named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France bordering Switzerland. ...

History

In 1272 the house of Savoy gained control of Bresse. It was not till the first half of the 15th century that the province, with Bourg as its capital, was founded as such. In 1601 it was ceded to France by the Treaty of Lyons, after which it formed (together with the province of Bugey) first a separate government and later part of the government of Burgundy. For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... Flag of Savoy This article is about the historical region of Savoy. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Events February 8 - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, rebels against Elizabeth I of England - revolt is quickly crushed February 25 - Robert Devereux beheaded Jesuit Matteo Ricci arrives in China Bad harvest in Russia due to rainy summer Dutch troops drive Portuguese from Málaga Battle of Kinsale, Ireland Births... The Treaty of Lyons may refer to any of the following: Treaty of Lyons (1504) - Louis XII of France cedes Naples to Ferdinand II of Aragon. ... The Bugey (French: le Bugey) is a historical region in the département of Ain, France. ... Coat of arms of the 2nd duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks. ...

This was a favorable period, especially during the 15th century. At first, Bâgé was the principal city of the province. But its location, close to the borders of France, encouraged the emergence of Bourg-en-Bresse, which became the capital. The province was coveted by the King of France, who wanted to increase his territory. The flat nature of Bresse was difficult to defend. Finally the sovereigns of Savoy agreed to relocate to the Alpine part of the Duchy and to give up Bresse and Bugey in exchange for Château-Dauphin in Piedmont. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Bourg-en-Bresse is a city in eastern France, préfecture (capital) of the Ain département, and was capital of the former province of Bresse. ... Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte) is a region of northwestern Italy. ...

Agriculture and economy

Bresse is noted for the 1,200,000 chickens per year which are raised primarily outdoors by 330 stockbreeders, with a minimum of 10 square meters per bird. They are sold at an average of 10 euros per kilo. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The cheese, Bleu de Bresse originates here. Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ...

Demographics

Towns in Bresse

• Bourg-en-Bresse

Louhans Bourg-en-Bresse is a city in eastern France, préfecture (capital) of the Ain département, and was capital of the former province of Bresse. ...

Bressan Culture

Sociological outline

A chiefly rural region, Bresse was historically organized around an agricultural economy. The countryside is bocage (woodlands), resulting in independent individuals within the community, organized around the parish and the commune. Social structures, then, are defined by a mixture of conservatism, attachment to ancestral values, and direct democratic participation in community life. Bocage is a French word referring to a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture, with tortuous side-roads and lanes bounded on both sides by banks surmounted with high thick hedgerows limiting visibility. ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ...

Bressan Folklore

The traditional festival costumes of Bresse are preserved by historical societies. They include, for the women, a wide hat, in the shape of plate, topped by a black cone. For men, they comprise a blue tunic, a long bonnet, long trousers and shoes.

Conscripts

The "conscripts' festival" (la fête des conscrits) is a ceremony for young people, 20 years of age. It has its roots in the period of "conscription" founded by General Jourdan in 1798, who required that every man between 20 and 25 years could be called to national service. The people organized festivals before their departure. The ceremonies survive to the present, and are appreciated by the population, seeing them as a way of maintaining social bonds. 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

These festivals generally take place between January and March. The people gather in a large banquet during which traditional "rigodon" music is played by two musicians, on clarinet and drum. The banquet is entirely organized by 20 year old people, who make it a point of honor to personally invite each guest to visit their home. They are then given rosettes, in distinctive designs corresponding to their age. Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™­ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... Drum carried by John Unger, Company B, 40th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry Mozart Regiment, December 20, 1863 Several American Indian-style drums for sale at the National Museum of the American Indian. ...

It should be noted that the conscripts' festivals coincide with patron saints' days. Those are the occasions of the vogue, a weekend festival.

Dialect

Bressan, a dialect of the Franco-Provençal language was the principal language of informal communication in the Bressan countryside until the 1970s. (See the article on Franco-Provençal for several examples.) Franco-Provençal (Francoprovençal) or Arpitan (in vernacular: patouès) (in Italian: francoprovenzale, provenzale alpina, arpitano, patois; French: francoprovençal, arpitan, patois) is a Romance language with several dialects in a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue dOïl and Langue dOc. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Franco-Provençal (Francoprovençal) or Arpitan (in vernacular: patouès) (in Italian: francoprovenzale, provenzale alpina, arpitano, patois; French: francoprovençal, arpitan, patois) is a Romance language with several dialects in a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue dOïl and Langue dOc. ...

Tourism

Wikisource has an original article from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica about:

Bresse

• The church of Brou
• Sarrasine chimneys
• Bressan farms

Visit Bresse and Louhans, the true France Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ...

References

• This article is based on the equivalent French-language wikipedia article (retrieved December 4, 2005).
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.